Caracas: Venezuela criticized US President Donald Trump's statement regarding the closure of Venezuelan airspace, demanding 'unconditional respect' for its sovereignty over the region.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry emphasized that its airspace is protected under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), citing the 1944 Chicago Convention, which asserts that every state has exclusive and absolute sovereignty over its airspace.
The ministry's statement firmly declared that Venezuela would not tolerate any external orders or interventions concerning its airspace. It highlighted that the US had unilaterally suspended flights intended for the repatriation of Venezuelan migrants, which were part of the Return to the Homeland Plan, successfully bringing back nearly 14,000 citizens through 75 flights.
The Venezuelan government expressed concerns over US military activity in the Caribbean and northern South America, urging the international community to address these threats. The statement affirmed Venezuela's commitment to exercising its sovereignty, emphasizing the potential threat to continental peace and the nation's resilience as heirs of Sim³n Bolvar.
Foreign Minister Yvan Gil condemned Trump's remarks about shutting down Venezuela's airspace, interpreting them as indicative of colonial ambitions toward Latin America. He criticized these statements as unilateral and hostile, conflicting with international law principles, and part of a broader policy of aggression against Venezuela.
Meanwhile, national press reports indicate that Sim³n Bolvar International Airport in Maiqueta, Venezuela's primary airport, continues to operate normally despite the threats. Trump's social media post warned airlines and traffickers of the impending closure of Venezuelan airspace and its surrounding area.